Zechariah 10

Zechariah 10:1-4

The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of the preceding. Now, 1. They are here directed to ye the great God in all events; and, both in the rest they suffered, and the comforts they desired, to acknowledge his hand, vers. 1—4. 2. They are encouraged to expect strength and success from him, in all their struggles with their enemies, and to hope that the issue would be glo’ out at last, vers. 5—12.

1. ¶ A SK ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain, so the LORD shall make a bright clouds, and give them flowers of rain, to every one grass in the field. 2. For the I idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no Shepherd. 3. Mine anger was kindled against the Shepherds, and I humbled the goats: for the LORD of heath hath visited me the flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. 4. Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle-bow, out of him every S oppressor together.

God is now returning in mercy to his people, and therefore,

1. They are directed to apply to him for the rain in its season, on which the fruitfulness of their land depended. In Judea the rain fell periodically; the former rain in autumn, about seed time, the latter in March, April, and May, from whence to September they had scarce any; and if these failed, the harvest necessarily suffered. Now God promises to hear their prayers, to lend his clouds, and by watering their lands seasonably, to give them plenty of the fruits of the earth. The common blessings of providence are to be humbly sought, not looked upon as things of course, but as rich gifts of grace; and this may be referred mythically to the influences of God’s spirit, by which our souls can alone be quickened to bring forth fruit unto God, and therefore we must ask this holy spirit from God, in ceaseless and importunate prayer.

2. None of the idols of the heathen, or those their fathers worshipped, could give rain; their holy prophets and diviners, who pretended to consult them, and return answers from them as vascular, were liars, they said false dreams, and comforted in vain; following these wicked Shepherds, they had gone

Before Chord affray as a flock; and for this their shepherds in church and state, who had deluded them, were cut off in anger and none left; and the poets, the princes and priests, that, instead of going before the flock aright, misled and misled them, God had punished severely. By their examples they should therefore be weaned, and crasle from idolatry, worshipping and serving God alone. Especially,

3. Seeing God had now done such great things for them, visiting them with his favour as his flock recovered from their dispersion and captivity, and hath made them as his youth herly in the battle, beautiful, strong, and formidable. One of him went forth the corner, he laid the foundation of their restoration; out of him the soul, which fastened them together; out of him the battle bow, all their military power was derived from him; out of him every oppression, or oustice, either those enemies which had oppressed them did it by his permission, or the word may be taken in a correspondence with the rest, that all the might they had, or should be endued with, to make any of the neighbouring nations tributary to them, must be from his gift alone.

Some apply this to the Messiah, the Corner-stone, the nail fastened in a fine place, the battle bow to subdue all the enemies of his people, and assign this as the reason why God will visit them, and strengthen them; seeing he gives them him, he will wish him freely give them every other blessing.

5. ¶ And they shall be as “mighty men, which” tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle, and they shall fight, “because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. 6. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not call them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. 7. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart: shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad, their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8. I will his for them, and gather them, for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. 9. And I will low them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries, and they shall live with their children, and turn again. 10. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Affyria, and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, and place shall not be found for them. 11. And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall fume the waves in the sea, and all the dregs of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Affyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. 12. And I will strengthen them in the LORD, and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.

6. 5-12. The promises contained in these verses certainly look farther than the establishment of Israel after their first captivity; and either appertain to the gospel-church in general, or have special reference to the Jewish people in the last days, when they shall be turned to the Lord.

7. As applicable to the Israel of God in general. Because the Lord is unto them, with the preachers of his gospel, and the faithful in Christ Jesus; they shall be as mighty men, ver. 5. 7. Strengthened by grace to fight the Lord’s battles against all their enemies, within and without, and the strongest shall fall before them, v. 5. They shall be saved with an everlasting salvation through the mercy of God, and live safely and comfortably in the church of the redeemed, being rescued from the bondage of corruption. They shall be as the natural branches of the true olive, and God will be their covenant God, ready to bear and answer all their prayers, v. 6. He will fill them with spiritual joy, as men rejoice through new wine, and their blessings shall descend to children’s children, who shall behold their father’s mercies, partake of them, and rejoice in the same salvation, for Christ’s church shall never fail, but continue through all ages, v. 7. His gospel, as the shepherd’s whistle, shall effectually gather them out of all lands, from the captivity of sin, much more burdensome than that of Egypt or Affyria, v. 10. for Jesus hath redeemed them by his most precious blood from every enemy, and great shall be their multitude, far exceeding that of Israel, when increased as the sand of the sea-stone, v. 8. See Heb. 1. 10. God will join them among the people, as his precious land in all lands, and the most distant countries shall remember him, and turning to the Lord, shall live with their children the life of grace and glory, v. 9. They shall possess the good land where all spiritual blessings abound, and place shall scarce be found for the multitude of converts, and not one of them shall be left, not one of the redeemed shall be finally laid, v. 9. Through

many tribulations indeed they must enter into the kingdom of God, but he will open a way for them through all their difficulties, and cause their strongest and most inveterate sons to fall before them, v. 11. In the Lord is their strength, therefore they must prevail, and they shall walk up and down in his name, going forth in his might, and making mention of his righteousness only, walking by faith, and lately kept by the power of God unto salvation.

2. These promises may also be particularly applied to Israel, when they shall be recovered from their perfect dispersion in the latter day, when God will convert their hearts to himself, increasing them more than ever, will strengthen them against all their sons, and probably make them his chief inducements to the ruin of the Antichristian foe; after whose fall, it is supposed by many good interpreters, that they will dwell long and happily in their own land of Judea, and being now become the people of Jesus, shall glory in his name as much as they have before blasphemed it.